THE number of homeless applications in Argyll and Bute between January and September 2018 was among the lowest of all 32 local authorities, according to new statistics.

Scottish Government findings show that the number of homeless applications in the area fell to 466, compared with 505 over the same period in 2017 – the seventh lowest number of Scotland’s council areas.

The data also reveals that 150 people in Argyll and Bute were assessed as being homeless between April to September 2018, the sixth lowest total in the country.

But wider trends demonstrate that homelessness is actually on the rise in Scotland as a whole, with 284 more new applications from April to September last year than during the same period in 2017.

Graeme Brown, director of housing charity Shelter Scotland, said: “These figures are bad news for anyone facing homelessness in Scotland and if alarm bells weren’t already ringing in Holyrood they should be now.

“Homelessness in Scotland continues to increase – with even more children in homeless temporary accommodation than last year and people having to stay longer in temporary accommodation with their lives in limbo. And with hundreds of breaches of the unsuitable accommodation order and households being turned away from temporary accommodation they are entitled to thousands of times, it is clear there is a housing emergency in Scotland.

“This is more evidence that the good progress on homelessness we have seen in recent years is being eroded and homelessness is blighting the lives of even more people in Scotland – robbing them of their health, security and a fair chance in life.

“We know homelessness can’t be solved overnight and we welcome the recent focus on homelessness from the Scottish Government. But it is now time for urgent action from all areas of local and national government to work together better to tackle and prevent homelessness in Scotland.”

A spokesperson for Argyll and Bute said it was encouraging to see the area bucking the national trend.

The spokesperson added: “Our housing service proactively seeks to prevent homelessness, and every effort is made to assist people to maintain their existing accommodation where possible.

“The main causes of homelessness are relationship breakdown or people being asked to leave their accommodation, and our officers refer people to housing mediation where appropriate.

“Where maintaining existing accommodation isn’t an option, we assist in providing suitable accommodation using established links with a range of social and private landlords.”